Smith worked with Arkansas Aviation Sales. From working with aircraft sales in Arkansas he saw first-hand how difficult it was to ship packages and receive them in a few days, birthing the idea of what is now known as FedEx.

Later, Smith brought the company to Memphis due to the city being a central location in the U.S., and the airport's ability to remain open most times--being that the weather was less likely to hinder the airport's ability for flights.

April 17, 1973 was the day FedEx opened in Memphis. At the time, the company was made up of just 389 members on the FedEx team and only 14 small aircraft carriers that delivered 186 packages across the U.S.

It took the company two years to show a profit. Now, 44 years later, it continues to be one of the leading shipping businesses in the marketplace.

A business that started with only 389 team member is now celebrating having more than 400,000 team members that make this anniversary possible.

We soared into operations 44 years ago today! ?????? Huge thank you to our 400,000+ team members for making this milestone possible! pic.twitter.com/kiG5AtNw0H